Talks began last year at Americasmart in Atlanta and the products were trialed in Busch Gardens, Va., over the summer to determine if there was a market for their natural products at the parks. Fast-forward to October 2017 and orders began pouring in from Busch Gardens, VA and ALL 7 parks under the SeaWorld Corporation. “We were very surprised and flattered that our products went over so well in VA.” said Mueller.

SeaWorld Corporation is an international company with theme-based parks located across the United States. US park locations include; Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; Chula Vista, California; Tampa, Florida; Williamsburg, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 2012, in Ocean Springs, MS, Marina Cottage Soap Co. has grown their business across the USA. The company offers a wide range of products including all natural soaps, lotions, bubble bath, lip balms and their famous Gneaux more Gnaughty Gnats™ natural repellent. The company specializes in products to help those with Eczema, Psoriasis and other sensitive skin issues. For more information about Marina Cottage Soap Co., go to: www.marinacottage.com

From a young girl doodling on her notepad to shaping steel as an art student at The University of Southern Mississippi, Kelsey Wishik has engaged in creative action as long as she can remember.

That creative action earned Wishik, a multimedia artist from Ocean Springs, Miss. a prominent place in the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) fifth installment of its exhibition series, titled “Heavy Metal – Women to Watch 2018” after being chosen by a national jury to be the state’s representative for the event.

According to a news release from the NMWA, “Heavy Metal – Women to Watch 2018,” set for June 28 – Sept. 16, will feature “contemporary artists working in metal to investigate the physical properties and expressive possibilities of metalwork through a wide variety of objects, including sculpture, jewelry, and conceptual forms.” The exhibit also “engages with the fluidity between ‘fine’ art, design, and craft categories, whose traditional definitions are rooted in gender discrimination.”

“Women to Watch” is presented every three years in a collaboration between the museum and its national and international outreach committees.

“I feel honored and humbled to be a part of this incredible showing,” said Wishik, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from USM in 2014. “It has added a lot of heat to a fire of inspiration already burning [in me] to keep creating, learning, and mastering my craft and skills, and reminds me that we are all ambassadors of culture, in a way.”

The exhibition provides Wishik the opportunity to show several of her pieces, alongside a published statement of her work. She will attend the opening reception to connect with other contributors and facilitators, and speak to an international forum the next day about her work and artistic vision.

“It’s a unique opportunity to share not only my academic studies and technical skills, but my insights, inspirations, passions, and hopes for future projects and potential collaborations,” Wishik said.

Reflecting on her still young career as an artist, Wishik looks back at her childhood doodling and the stories and songs she wrote that for her gave life a narrative quality, as the genesis for her success.

“Even as a kid, just walking around, I saw so many things speaking through life, through other people, and through nature,” Wishik said. “Some of these fascinations became content for early work, but it was when I discovered abstract art and surrealism around the age of 13 that I became deeply enamored with creating art, and experimenting with what I was capable of through poetry, art, and music.

“Creating art is how I process and revere my experience. Sometimes I apply it for the sake of sheer curiosity, because studying something brings you closer to understanding it. Other times, creation comes with the sense of purging, that I am letting something go, or even inviting something in.”

Wishik loves all the materials she works with in her art for different reasons, but is most enamored with the steel medium. “Something that seems so rigid, hard, and cold can actually yield to being shaped, changed, and warmed quite easily,” she said. “Working with steel is my humble study of this concept on a small scale. I enjoy being able to apply considerable force to something, and shape it with my intention as well. I get that out of the steel fabrication process.”

Wishik points to American sculptor and printmaker Lee Bontecou as a role model. “Her work is fantastic and otherworldly,” she said. “It shows great contemplative power and evidence of many years of immersion into her fascinations and self-education of those forms.”

After attending Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Wishik transferred to Southern Miss, where she received several scholarships that included the Fred A. Waits Scholarship; the Trustmark Bank Arts Scholarship; the Thelma Johnson Arts Scholarship; and the William Clark Art Scholarship.

Wishik said USM’s “incredible facilities, which offer a breadth of possibilities in many mediums” and proximity to home influenced her decision to choose the university.

“I’m proud of the work I did at USM in steel, because I really took the opportunity to immerse in the studio environment, and take advantage of the resources of both studio and creative community,” she said. “I was able to explore creative work processes in clay, metals, wood, fabric, foam, plaster, and many other materials. It helped me grow my skills quite quickly.”

Jennifer Torres, professor of art at USM and a mentor for Wilshik, said her former student is “exemplary, full of talent and intelligence.”

“What makes her exceptional is the way she attacks life as a whole, and explores the world without regard for boundaries or limitations that others might impose,” Torres said. “She is such a shining light and great example of what we wish for all our students to be, as well as a great ambassador for our program and the University as a whole.”

For Wishik, art isn’t contained on a canvas or in a studio – it’s everywhere. “The world is art. The world is in constant flux — a constant act of transformation and reflection of forces at work,” she said. “The word ‘art’ aside, we are creating at every moment. We can’t help it. We interact with our environment and impress upon it through our thoughts, actions, and speech.

“I think when the art process becomes true magic is when we invite it in intentionally. The process of creating can cultivate concentration, develop our emotions and empathy, and encourage abstract thought.”

Wishik’s advice to current and aspiring artists is to avoid artificial restrictions that suffocate creativity. “Focus your mind and intention where there is vastness, space to roam and imagine – do not waste your mind’s capacity on that which is decided for you without exploration or work, including unexplored limitations, doubts, or self-defeating mindsets,” she said. “These are some key truths I’ve found, and applicable in any setting.”

Many kids look forward to their 18th birthday, but for kids in foster care their 18th birthday is often the day they become homeless. That is when they “age out” of the foster care system, and unless they have plans to go to college or have someone pick them up and take care of them many of these young adults are left with nowhere to go and end up in the streets. A new program through the Community Care Network, Breakthrough, aims to to rescue these homeless kids that are on the streets and give them the housing and necessities they need to help get them on their feet.

The Community Care Network is a faith-based, non-profit organization located in Ocean Springs seeking to empower their clients and minister to their physical, emotional, and spiritual need, enabling them to move from addiction, homelessness, and/or incarceration to a stable and independent life. The network is made up of different branches, including a long-term transitional home-Sue’s Home. Sue’s Home helps women and children who have either been displaced by incarceration or rehab and are seeking to get their life’s back on track, so they may unify their family again.

The Breakthrough program began in South Mississippi in July and rescues these 18-to 24-year olds who have aged out of the foster care system and have no job or hopes of going to college, said Shellie Carter, director of the program for the Community Care Network. “Many of these kids have bounced around in foster homes or may come from an abusive home and turn to alcohol and drugs to cope”, she said.

Carter mentions how she can understand and relate to how uncertain and scared these kids are. “I was a child of an addict”, she said, and at age 6 she and her sister were taken from her mother and placed in a foster care in Harrison County. “I’ve been in your shoes”, she tells the kids.

The program was founded after receiving the Continuum of Care (COC) Grant through Open Doors Homeless Coalition, which is a coalition for the homeless in Gulfport. “When I met Diane Easley, (Founder and Executive Director of Community Care Network), I thought ‘wow what a blessing it would be to work with the community after experiencing what I have as a child in the foster care system and having addiction touch my life'”, said Carter.

This is her 9th year working with non-profits and second year with the Community Care Network. At 47, she now believes life has brought her to where she needs to be to put her own past to rest and to take those late-night phone calls from kids in Breakthrough who need help or just someone to listen to their concerns.

Homelessness is a challenge in our area

The homeless population in Ocean Springs has become a continuous issue in the city. A 2015 count showed a 300 percent increase in homelessness among ages 18 to 24 in the six southern counties, most of them on the Coast, Carter said. In every other age category the numbers went down, she said. The current count of young people living outside in South Mississippi is 54. “I have people call me daily to try and get into the program and on average about 3 people per week”, said Carter. “We’re funded out through the end of the year and at our max capacity with our budget”, she said. “We don’t have any more room- the problem is that big.” There are currently 11 residents enrolled in the program.

“There’s a lot of barriers that go into homeless youth. If they’re 18 there’s a lot of apartment complexes who won’t accept an 18 year old signing a lease”, she said. “Another issue is employment and transportation that we’ve come across while trying to help the homeless youth.”

How it works

The homeless youth first go through a centralized intake through Open Doors Coalition and get all of the information to identify their level of need. “A score of one would be the least amount of need and if they score from five to ten they are really desperate”, she said.

After determining their need, the next step includes finding an apartment so the young person has a warm, safe place to live. The program provides them with everything from furniture and cooking supplies and even food. “There’s a lot to getting a young person housed who has nothing,” Carter said.

Breakthrough also assigns a case manager who provides help learning how to apply for food stamps, search for jobs and even enrolling them in financial counseling. “It’s very overwhelming to 19-year-olds,” Carter said, since many of them don’t know how to cook or parent and “freeze” when asked to fill out job applications.

The program has had many success stories ike a young woman in Gulfport who was homeless and now has apartment and a high school diploma and plans to start junior college this spring.

“It can happen to anyone”, says Carter. “So if we can all take our shoes off and walk in someone else’s for a day we can all get that perspective and relate in someway”, she added. “I’m sure at some point in life, addiction has touched someone you know or someone in your family and that’s where our human-ness comes in our ability to touch and reach out to these people and give a hand up, not a hand down”, said Carter.

How you can help

The program is always in need of supplies for the program such as personal hygiene items, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant. Any leftovers are sent back out into the homeless community. “We make care packages and take them back out into the streets to pass out” said Carter.

For more information on the Breakthrough program or Community Care Network, visit their website at ccms.org.

This weekend in Jackson County, families can beat the chilly weather outside and experience some indoor entertainment as Ocean Springs High School Theatre Department presents its award-winning production of “Inuk and the Sun.”

“It’s a great opportunity to experience the arts,” OSHS Theatre Department Director Chris Permenter said. “These kids pour their heart into their craft. It’s unique to find such a strong group of students who come together and create something beautiful.”

Permenter said the production has a cast and crew of 50 students, half of whom are actors and the other half serve as technical crew. The department does an entire season of shows, including three MainStage productions – a fall show, a winter show and a spring show, with four studio pieces in the spring by the advanced theatre classes.

“Inuk and the Sun,” an original story based on characters from Inuit mythology, follows a young boy named Inuk as he journeys to save his people and become a man. Inuk is the Inuit word for “human being,” and the plot echoes the universal experience of growing up and coming to terms with life and death.

In his second year as director, Permenter said he has created a student-based program and tries to always choose a strong season that not only fits the actors, designers, and tech crew’s strengths but also their weaknesses – to challenge them to become better artist and not just do shows that they are comfortable with.

“With the amount of puppetry, mask, and headdresses used in the show it takes a village to make it possible,” Permenter said. “The show is completely student-designed. My set, costume, props, makeup, and sound designer students started designing in May of 2017. It’s a very long process, but that’s why the kids love it – every rehearsal you find something new. The actors play spirits, northern lights, seals, and so many more exciting characters.”

In addition, Permenter said the fall show is always the show used in competitions. “Inuk and the Sun” has earned OSHS a number of awards, including All-Star Cast, Best Director, Best Costumes and Best Non-Human Characters. “Inuk and the Sun” will also be taken to the Mississippi Theatre Association Festival in Columbus, Miss., from Jan. 11 to 15 to compete for the state title.

The department was also one of 40 high schools across the nation chosen to perform internationally the American High School Theatre Festival. Permenter said 30 students from the theatre department will be going to Edinburgh, Scotland, the first two weeks of August to perform its spring production of “Metamorphoses” by Mary Zimmerman. Much of the proceeds from the shows and other fundraiser events are going toward this once-in-a-lifetime experience for these students.

“It is very important to have community support,” Permenter said. “This small town of Ocean Springs is being internationally recognized at the largest theatre festival in the world. My wish is for the community to come together and support these kids and their hard work.”

Performances start at 7 p.m. on January 5 and 6 at the Ocean Springs High School Robert E Hirsh Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Those who are interested in donating to the student trip to Scotland can do so by going to the the American High School Theatre Festival website and enter a “Gift of Performance” or contact Ocean Springs High School.

Children in fifth through seventh grades can create their own art for the holiday season at a workshop sponsored by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.

WAMA will be conducting Christmas art workshops from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Thursday, Dec. 21. In these workshops, participants will learn basic drawing and composition techniques and will make several projects, including a Christmas card block print.

Anthony DiFatta, the director of education for WAMA, said the workshops are part of a strategy to increase the number of classes, workshops and camps that the museum will offer. These will focus on art composition.

“In these workshops, the children will be learning about composition – using the seven motifs that Walter used,” DiFatta said. “They’ll also learn the process of block printing.”

The seven motifs include spirals, circles, half-circles, S-curves, wavy lines, zig zags and straight lines. WAMA also currently has an exhibit called Atomic Alternatives: The Block Prints of Walter Anderson, featuring work from when Anderson carved linoleum blocks during the 1940s while he was living at Oldfields, his wife’s family home in Gautier, Mississippi. He transformed the attic of the house into his studio, carving his fantastical images into battleship linoleum in sweeping lines and bold forms.

DiFatta, who will lead the workshops, is an experienced artist himself, with his artwork exhibited nationally and internationally. He’s worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, professional artist and art teacher in the past, and his new role within WAMA will focus on art education.

He added that the workshops are meant to be a tool to introduce art concepts while providing a hands-on experience.

“Our goal is to educate children about the process of making artwork,” DiFatta said. “We will be using the work, techniques, and subject matter of Walter Anderson to introduce formal art concepts.”

Registration is still open for the workshops. They are advertised for fifth through seventh grade, but DiFatta said he will leave it to the parent’s discretion based on their child’s level of interest and attention span. The cost is $20 per student, but WAMA welcomes anyone who hasn’t budgeted for it. To sign up call us at 228-872-3164, or email educate@walterandersonmuseum.org.

Adults and children interested in popular music, theater and dance can learn more about the improved Rock U 2 Academy of Popular Music at its grand opening and open house this weekend.

From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, Rock U 2 will open its new location at 2820 Government St. in Ocean Springs.

Tim Alamsha, who owns the business along with his wife, Barbara, said while Rock U 2 has been in Ocean Springs since May 2011, the new location grows their space from about 3,000 square feet to about 9,000 square feet.

“This time last year, we had around 90 students,” Alamsha said. “Now we have more than 200.”

Alamsha has spent his life in the entertainment business. He and his wife began their careers as performers/entertainers, and starting in 1990, he worked for Disney where he was responsible for parades and other shows. After his time at Disney, he worked as the director of entertainment for Universal Studios.

After visiting the Gulf Coast, he said he fell in love with the area and wanted to see what programs were available for children when it comes to popular music.

“We decided to start something more interactive than just private lessons and practicing in your bedroom,” Alamsha said. “We aim to teach students about things like goal-setting, teamwork and building self-esteem all through music, dance and theater.”

Alamsha said the new location contains nine individual rooms, two group rehearsal rooms, a dance studio, recording studio, video editing studio and more. He said he also plans to add a fitness center and space for theater acting in the future.

“This is a great opportunity to see the new facility,” Alamsha said. “It will be a lot of fun, people can meet the instructors, try out free dance classes and more.”

Rock U 2 Academy of Popular Music offers a variety of classes for children and adults, ranging from theater and film to all types of dance and music lessons on instruments ranging from the ukulele, french horn and more. Alamsha said that the academy also offers an extra unique opportunity to students.

“We pair students up within similar instruments, skills levels, etc., and create bands with them,” Alamsha said. “They perform at the Hard Rock or through our quarterly recitals.”

Families needing a break from shopping during the Ocean Springs annual holiday open house on Friday, Dec. 8 or Saturday, Dec. 9 can stop by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.

Corey Christy, director of marketing and development for WAMA, said the museum decided to join with the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce’s annual holiday open house initiative for the first time this year, creating a new experience for visitors.

“We do after hours events all the time,” Christy said. “This year, we’re excited to participate in the holiday open house event.”

Christy said WAMA will have a variety of special deals on shop items and memberships and also activities for children. WAMA is currently running a special “give one, get one” membership special, allowing people to purchase a membership for themselves as well as getting one to give to someone else.

In addition, Christy said the museum’s popular $5 poster sale will continue, as well as the sale of the 2018 WAMA calendar for $15.

Those who want to view the current museum exhibitions can do so for $10. Christy said there’s a special exhibition called Atomic Alternatives, which includes block prints of Walter Anderson. According to the WAMA website, Walter Anderson carved these linoleum blocks during the 1940’s while he was living at Oldfields, his wife’s family home in Gautier. He transformed the attic of the house into his studio, carving images into battleship linoleum. His large-scale linoleum block carvings directly correspond to the period when Allied forces dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to effectively end World War II.

Children will also be able to create their own block prints at the block print holiday card station.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, the open house will include pop-up coffee and biscuits from the Ocean Springs local business The Greenhouse on Porter.

With art, activities and special deals, Christy said there is something for all members of the family.

“People can come support the arts,” Christy said. “It’s also a great opportunity for people to relax their minds and get away from the hustle and bustle of shopping.”

(Ocean Springs, MS) – The annual Tree Lighting ceremony with Santa scheduled for Thursday, December 7 from 6-8 p.m. will now take place at the Ocean Springs Community Center located at 512 Washington Avenue due to the cold weather.

The community is invited to come out and enjoy two hours of holiday cheer with live music by the First Baptist Church Choir, singalongs on the big screen, and a chance to take a picture with Santa.

Have fun at the holiday stations by writing a letter to the North Pole with the U.S. Postal Service, decorate a cookie with the Mary C. Cafe, or make an ornament at the craft station with the City of Ocean Springs Parks & Leisure Department.

Bring a toy for the Ocean Springs Police Department Blue Christmas Toy Drive, a canned good for the Lord is My Help and/or pet food for the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Refreshments provided by Ocean Springs Chamber, First Baptist Church and Froghead Grill. Bring your own camera for pictures.

Get a start on the night by visiting The Roost located at 604 Porter Avenue between 5 and 7 p.m. and get an Oyster Shell ornament from a visiting elf! Take the ornament to the Tree Lighting and place it upon one of our festive Christmas trees inside the Community Center! Eat Drink Love will be opened during the event with holiday drink specials.

For more information on this event and other holiday festivities, contact the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau at 228-875-4424.

You might not be aware, but right next to Mosaic Church, in Ocean Springs (1064 Thorn ave, to be precise), there is a brand new place to enjoy some great food. It is called “The Kettle Cafe and Tea Room. I heard about it’s opening, and i saw the place, but i didn’t know much about it. Then i heard the words that had doomed every other place like it i ever heard about. I heard it was a vegan restaurant.

I don’t know what your opinion is, yes, YOU! The person reading this article right now. I don’t know what YOUR opinion is about vegan food, but mine was most definitely not a high opinion. I am, by admission, a meat-etarian. I like meat. If it’s green, there is a 98% chance i have no interest in consuming it. So, i was skeptical.

I did, however, know some people that knew Somer Cochran, the owner/operator of this new vegan establishment. I decided i wanted to write an article about it. I wanted to make sure that all of the vegan-minded people out there knew they had a brand new choice where they could enjoy their favorite vegan delicacies, so i got in touch with Somer and did an interview…..via text message. I wanted to stay as far away from anything remotely vegan as i could. Then a funny thing happened. Somer invited me to come TRY the food. There was immediately a war within my brain. “I can’t go try that! It’s vegan!” thought one part of my brain. The other part of my brain said, “You have to have journalistic integrity. You cannot speak about a new food option without having tried it. That would totally lack integrity.” So i accepted.

I must admit, i was very hesitant. But i pressed on. I went into the (absolutely beautiful) Kettle Cafe and Tea Room. I was very impressed with the warm, inviting atmosphere i found inside. As i began to peruse the menu, my beautiful, but just as inexperienced, wife in tow, i realized just how little i knew about the vegan menu. Somer was kind enough to offer a suggestion. I took her suggestion and went with the teriyaki selection. It was at this juncture that was introduced to the wide variety of specialty teas they have. I ordered the earl grey tea (what else what a Star Trek fan order?).

After placing our orders, Somer asked us if we’d like dessert with that. “I didn’t know vegans ate dessert,” i thought to myself. “Yes, please. We would love to try the lime tart and the almond butter bar, please.”

The tea arrived quickly, piping hot, and full of a new flavor i had never experienced before. It was delicious. Then came the food. I could feel my heart racing. I was nervous and excited. What would this experience be like? Will it be pleasant, or will i run out screaming in horror at the tofu i just ate? Ok, mild exaggeration maybe. That’s when Somer’s mother, who helps her around the cafe, offered me some vegan sriracha sauce, that was made in Texas, for my sandwich. And…….drum roll…… It was fantastic! It was nothing like what i’ve always heard that tofu tasted like. It was really good.

We asked Somer about that misconception. She replied, “there aren’t very many people in South Mississippi that know how to cook tofu correctly. It’s a lot like meat. It has to be marinaded, and cooked correctly, or else it might not come out tasting great.”

Let me just say, as a registered, life-long, meat-etarian, Somer knows how to prepare it correctly. It was great tasting stuff. And then there’s the dessert. It was even more fantastic. My wife had the almond butter bar, ala mode (with caramel ice cream). Wonderful flavors in both.

If a full meal is not what you’re looking for, The Kettle Cafe and Tea Room is an absolutely fantastic place to go and grab a book from her “book nook,” enjoy an amazing dessert, some good, flavorful tea, and just enjoy some quiet reading and contemplation.

If The Kettle Cafe can win ME over, i know that it has something to offer absolutely anybody, vegan or not. So find a time and go check it out. I guarantee you will be greeted with a smile, warm, quick, friendly service and great food. You absolutely will not regret it, and you will probably leave with a much more favorable impression of tofu, just like me.

If you’d like to go and check out the menu, you can do so at their web site www.thekettlecafe.com

Over the years, people worldwide have added the ugly Christmas sweater to their list of necessary holiday items.

These sweaters, known for their tackiness and gaudiness, can range from knitted sweaters to sweater vests, handmade to handed down, and can feature an endless number of decorations and images – everything to get you into the Christmas spirit.

This year, Ocean Springs resident Brandt Russo decided to open up a pop up shop in Ocean Springs and take ugly Christmas sweater shopping to the next level.

Russo, who runs his own vintage store through Instagram called Rebirth Vintage Company (@rebirthvintageco), said he’s been collecting these sweaters all year and got the idea to set up a pop up shop from a fellow vintage shop owner.

“Pop up shops basically raid another business’ space for a month,” Russo said. “They help those businesses, and they help your business.”

As a kickboxing instructor at the Alan Belcher MMA Club, he asked the owner if he could use the space next door to set up a shop to sell his sweaters. After the owner said yes, Russo didn’t turn back.

“It just made sense,” Russo said. “Instead of selling them to my usual place in New Orleans, I could use this space and sell them on my own and donate a portion of the proceeds.”

Russo calls his shop the Naughty Elves Ugly Christmas Sweater & Vintage Finds Pop Up Shop, and he offers sweaters that can match any personality, as well as some other vintage holiday items. He said buying from his shop offers a unique experience compared to bigger box stores like Wal-Mart.

“The cool thing about these, for the most part, is that they’re older; they’re wool; they’re knit – hand-knit,” Russo said. “If you go to Wal-Mart, they’re going to fall apart on you. You’ll only spend $12, but you’ll only use them twice.”

In addition, 10 percent of all sales will go to the Humane Society of South Mississippi – a cause near to Russo’s heart.

Seven years ago, Russo said he found his dog Dorothy under an interstate at a homeless camp. There was a litter of puppies, all sick with Parvo, and he chose her. He said she’s been his best friend ever since.

“I’ve had a couple of relationships over the years, and, you know, the only one that has been solid has been my dog,” Russo said. “It was very easy to want to help other animals in that situation because she’s been such a blessing.”

The Naughty Elves Ugly Christmas Sweater & Vintage Finds Pop Up Shop, located at 2646 Bienville Blvd. in Ocean Springs, will be open 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 20.

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Capturing and highlighting the great things Jackson County, Mississippi has to offer. From environment to education to endeavors of our residents, @jaxcohome is HOME to all things good.